Anyone who’s been lucky enough to recieve free native trees over the years also probably recieved an abundance of canes and spiral tree guards. We’ve seen lots of creative ways the canes can be put to good use after the trees out grow them, with a recent favourite being the creation of bee hotels!

Robert from Cohooley woods collected some of our old canes a few weeks ago and quickly whipped up these beautiful bee hotels. Bee hotels help support solitary bees who are important pollinators in our landscapes. These wild bees do not form colonies but nest alone and can take up residence in bamboo canes and other human-made tubular holes.

Making bee hotels can be a fun task for all. If you’d like to try building your own, check out Nature Scot’s guidance on best practice to increase the chances of your home being occupied.

If you want to see more of Robert’s wood work check out his Woodland Crafts Facebook page where funds go towards supporting Cohooley community woodland project.